Revenge of the Gerudo- Part 1
by Ganondora
Summary: Witness the Gerudo as you have never seen them before. Ganondorf struggles against the elders to bring equality to his people, where the only rule is his. His coronation rings in a new era for the Gerudo, and once they are united nothing can stop him from claiming the Triforce and ultimate power. This is a prequel to "I'm With You".
1. Chapter 1

"Please, don't hurt my daughter!" the woman in rags begged. She stood at the threshold of the cathedral room, restrained by two guards, while her young and malnourished daughter stood before Ganondorf and the three elders.

Ganondorf was excited to witness his first judgment at only eight years old. He was busy learning to prepare to be king, and this was only one of many important tasks he would inherit. The room was set up with three long tables, an elder sitting behind each one. He sat with Chloe, the elder in red, and watched attentively. He wondered what the girl's punishment would be.

"You are accused of unlawfully entering into the room of and stealing food from the young noblewoman Alexandria. How do you plead?" Chloe asked, her voice old but stern.

The girl was scared, wearing patched clothes that were much too large for her. Ganondorf wondered how they survived, but also why they were allowed to live if they were good for nothing. She was caught stealing, the ultimate failure of a Gerudo thief. Did they really need people who were useless?

"I was just hungry," the girl answered in a whimper.

"So you do not deny the charges against you," Elsie said, the elder in a blue robe.

The girl shook her head, shaking and barely able to stand.

"Ganondorf, what is the punishment for stealing?" Chloe asked, quizzing him.

"One finger per attempt of theft," Ganondorf answered proudly.

"Guards! Carry out the sentence."

Her mother screamed, "She is just a girl who is only guilty of starvation caused by you."

"Silence her!" Chloe yelled. The guards took the woman out of the room and out of view before Ganondorf could see. He turned his attention back to the criminal girl.

She was pinned to the ground by one guard, while another held her arm stiffly out, and a third held her wrist in an iron grip. The blade, fortunately, went clean through in one strike, and her index finger was gone.

Ganondorf watched in disbelief. As the girl was dragged back to her mother outside the room, he turned to the elder in red and asked, "Why do they starve?"

Chloe answered him with tried patience. "The peasants are worthless. They are not able to be taught anything, they are dirty, and we tolerate them only because it is inhumane to just kill them all."

Ganondorf struggled for reasoning. "Why not just provide them with food? They are still Gerudo after all."

She looked at him with disapproving, dark, narrow eyes that made his heart jump into his throat. "We can barely feed ourselves let alone the plague living in the dirt!" she exclaimed, her voice full of hate. "Do you understand?"

"Of course," Ganondorf said with a nod.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun danced warm on Ganondorf's face as he watched out the window of the study at the children playing. There were the noble girls who held tea parties in their rooms with their dolls. There were also the commoners whose children played tag or hide, with sticks, and their own invisible pretend horses, while their parents hurried about to complete the chores for the day. Ganondorf desperately wished to join the other children his age, but as the only born male he was required to be educated. Every day he was trapped inside the study for hours and then taken to train with sorcery and weapons by only the finest teachers the Gerudo could offer.

The rest of the Gerudo were off to his far right in a fenced off area large enough for them to spar, to practice horseback riding, archery, and sometimes all three at once. He truly admired these women for their strength and courage to fight, and swear an oath to put their life on the line for their king and kingdom. The nobles were useless, the commoners worked hard to stay ahead in life, but the soldiers and guards were the backbone of their society.

There was no time for play though, his teachers said, because Ganondorf needed to be prepared for kingship and his coronation was in only three years. He was not entirely without friends or any form of social interaction. He ate with the noble girls of the kingdom but he found little in common with them. They were certainly entertaining enough, being so full of themselves when Ganondorf already knew he was the best, but to say he respected them was a gross misunderstanding. They worried so much about acting regally and looking like princesses that conversation was dull.

As for the commoners, the elders and his teachers forbid him to associate with them. They were uneducated, unclean, and not worth his time. Ganondorf felt undecided, but, until his sixteenth birthday, he was forced to comply.

His thoughts of self pity were interrupted when he saw a girl leaping gracefully from one roof top to another. He had watched some of the most highly trained thieves in action, but none of them matched this girl's skill and swiftness. She wore no uniform of a thief, or even training attire, only torn clothes too big for her. Ganondorf watched intently as she almost literally hopped up the length of a wall using small cracks as footholds, and then raced around a balcony on the edge. What he found odd was that no one chased her, instead it seemed she did this for fun. Certainly he could not be the first to witness her incredible abilities.

Everything went smoothly for the girl until she slid between and underneath the railing of the next balcony, down the slanted roof, and right into the middle of a group of nobles, crashing through their tea table and destroying the dishes. Ganondorf was so excited he jumped when it happened, but thought better of shouting out. When he heard the girls screaming for guards, Ganondorf turned from the window.

"Where are you going?" his teacher asked as he strolled by. He did not answer.

Ganondorf moved through the fortress as quickly as possible to reach the second floor opposite the study where he saw the girl land. What concerned him was that most guards would just throw a common girl back to her home, or punish her for being out of her place without even consulting him. Once he was king, they would learn that his rule was final.

He found the noble girl's room just in time. The guards had the peasant pinned and were about to break her hand for the destruction she caused and the terror the girl's suffered at her intrusion. Despite being restrained, the common girl kicked and fought, screaming about injustice and discrimination. "Stop!" he shouted, stepping inside without an invitation. They all looked at him, surprised.

"Is something the matter, your majesty?" the guard asked.

The captured girl looked at him with fear in her eyes, and it was that fear which made her cease her defiance against the guards. She whimpered, "Please, I meant no harm."

Before Ganondorf could say anything, Beatrice, one of the noble girls he shared breakfast with, chimed in and said, "She dropped right on to my table and ruined my best tea set!"

He ignored her and looked at the two guards. "What are your intentions with her?" he questioned fiercely.

They glanced at each other and then answered him, "She is disturbing the noble ladies and needs to be punished."

"You are blinded by your idiotic rules. Did you not watch her glide across these rooftops as if she was flying through the sky? Tell me who else can do that with such ease," Ganondorf challenged.

Beatrice whined, "This girl is breaking the law!"

He waved his arms in anger. The elders set up laws to keep the Gerudo in order until a new king was born. Most of them were just infuriating and kept the Gerudo in social classes instead of one group. "Once I am king there will be many changes, and you will suffer from them the most," Ganondorf proclaimed, pointing at Beatrice and her friends. He moved forward and pushed the guards out of the way, to hold a hand out to the common girl. She timidly watched him, but did not take his hand. In a way, she seemed more frightened of him than the guards.

"She is just a common girl from the village, your majesty, allow me to escort her home," the guard offered, trying to help.

He glared at the guards. "Are you so naive that you cannot see the potential this girl holds? Because she is a commoner, forced to work to the bone for everything she has, means she is destined to remain that way? No, not anymore. Her skill is needed by the Gerudo. I would have her trained as a thief and a warrior," he ordered, and turned back to the girl. The disgust he experienced when looking at her caught him off guard, but he knew it was brought on him by years of brainwashing by the elders and tutors. It would take some time to rearrange his thinking. "What is your name?" he demanded.

Suddenly, she looked at him with curiosity instead of fear. The yellow of her eyes was speckled with sparkling gold flakes and they wisely judged his intentions. "My name is Dora," she answered, taking his hand and using it to stand to her feet.

For the first time Ganondorf could remember, he made a connection with someone. Their lives were entirely different, and he would never have the chance to talk to her again.


	3. Chapter 3

The study was dimly lit by two torches hanging on the wall across from the window, and beside the table Ganondorf sat at. He was up late, studying the book his teacher planned for his instruction the next day. Recently they focused on Hyrule's history, the royal family, their inventions, and their creation. The other day he had stumbled across an old book bound carefully in leather, and when he went to investigate it his teacher interrupted him. It left him even more curious about what the book contained, so he used a late night study excuse to research it further.

The book was crammed in the middle of uninteresting literature about archery, and anyone else might have passed it up. Its ancient bindings were out of place though, so Ganondorf easily found it again and took it from the wooden book shelf. He laid it on the table and held his breath in anticipation. He opened the cover and was immediately intrigued. This symbol, this legacy of the goddesses, had never been mentioned by his tutors.

As he read, his anticipation exploded. He learned this triangular image was more than a symbol, it was the essence of the goddesses, left behind after the creation of Hyrule, and it could grant any wish he desired.

His imagination ran wild with the limitless possibilities, until he learned of the obstacles: spiritual stones, a magical ocarina, and what was a master sword? The stones were guarded by those loyal to the royal family, the Deku Tree, the Zora, and the Goron. The ocarina was entrusted to the Hylian Royal family. There was too little information on the master sword, so he returned to the bookshelf. While consumed by his frantic search, he never heard his tutor enter the study.

"What are you doing?" she asked alarmed, her eyes transfixed on the open book on the table.

Ganondorf turned, shoving a book about ancient and mythical weapons back in place."Studying," he admitted innocently.

Angered at his disobedience, the tutor walked forward and slammed the book shut, but she realized then it was too late. Ganondorf watched her hastily consider her next move. After taking a deep breath, she said, "I knew I could not keep you from this forever."

Ganondorf already understood that the treasure of the goddesses was what he needed to be the most powerful king the Gerudo had ever seen, and much more. In training with his sorcery master, the sensation he experienced while wielding dark energy was euphoric. He was already almost as skilled as his mentor, but what if he could magnify his power by a hundred times? The Gorons would bow to him, the Zora would bow to him, all of Hyrule, and eventually the world. "This is what we need to reclaim our power, to show the world the Gerudo are ready to take back their place in history."

"Why does it matter, my lord? What difference will it make? We have made peaceful lives for ourselves here. Would you destroy that peace just for a name?" she asked him, pleading.

Ganondorf was shocked. "After all you've taught me, don't you feel as though the Gerudo have always been swept aside like trash, as if we are no better than what you call the common villagers? I imagine, just as we talk about them, the Hylians speak of the Gerudo as if we are no better than the dirt they walk on. Do you really want the Gerudo to be remembered that way, Erika, or have the elders brainwashed you into ignorance?"

"This is our way of life now, our home," the tutor answered. "You must understand that."

"I refuse to accept that this is all we are capable of. The Gerudo are the superior race and I will prove all others wrong, using this power."

"You can't mean to take the Triforce," Erika said in disbelief.

"I do."

"Gathering the necessary items alone is a feat, but pulling the master sword to enter the sacred realm is impossible for you. Only the hero chosen by the goddesses can do that."

Ganondorf stepped forward. He might not have been at his full grown height or size yet, but the aura of power that emanated from him was intimidating. "Do you doubt me? Do you doubt what we Gerudo can do?"

The tutor shook her head quickly. "You misunderstand me. I am only looking out for your safety."

"I will not let you stand in my way!" The room flashed with blindling light when Ganondorf sprayed his teacher with scores of dark energy orbs. They pummeled her ruthlessly, and in the end it was only the force of his power that kept her standing. Once the orbs stopped, she collapsed, dead.

Ganondorf immediately disposed of the body that night in the sinking sand of the haunted wasteland beyond the Gerudo desert. It was nearly morning when he arrived back and snuck into bed. He tried to catch some sleep but his mind was plagued with questions. Collecting the spiritual stones could be accomplished, even the difficult task of obtaining the ocarina, but how would he bypass the master sword? What he had read briefly explained it as the blade of evil's bane. Until that night he might have been able to convince himself he was truly a good person by intention alone, but his actions proved otherwise, and he could not deny there was no goodness in him.

Many hours later he finally woke. When he wandered from his chambers to the dining room he found it was lunch time. It was only once he smelled the delicious fresh baked bread that his stomach growled and he discovered he was hungry. He gobbled down a few chunks of bread bathed in gravy sauce and ignored the staring eyes of Beatrice and her friends as they watched him in disgust. Apparently, they never experienced how hungry one could be from gaining so much knowledge, not to mention covering up a murder.

With his brain exhausted, Ganondorf decided to take to the sword to exercise his body before opening his mind again. His tutor was there, and so they picked up their weapons and entered into a fierce battle.

It was only about five minutes later when he was distracted by shouting and yelling coming from the gate entrance to the sparring field. He ordered his tutor to stop so he could investigate the disturbance. What commotion was this lowly villager causing? When he approached the two women fighting though, he found one was only a commander, and the other was that girl with the mesmerizing yellow eyes. He listened to what they said.

"You are late, again!" the commander screamed, slapping Dora for her disrespect. She did not shriek, or flinch, but stared with cold eyes much different from the last time Ganondorf saw her. "What do you have to say for yourself."

"Commander Leslie, as I have already told you, my mother is ill and her eyes are failing her, so I have many responsibilities to fulfill at home and here. I apologize for being late," Dora said, sounding calm and wise despite her anger.

"No one cares about that stupid medicine woman. What good is some common woman with her foot half in the grave? Forget about her and focus on your training!"

Ganondorf was astounded. He interjected, "A medicine woman?"

Dora looked at him, suddenly realizing he was there and feeling relieved by his presence. She explained, "My mother makes medicines from chemicals and herbs, easing symptoms from the common cold to infections that, untreated, would normally kill. She helps birth all of the children in the village and even raises them if something happens to the mother. Recently, she has hardly been able to leave her bed to care of herself and she cannot see well, so she relies on my eyes to help make her brews."

Ganondorf was impressed for a moment, before anger took over. He forgot that Dora and her mother were only peasants, that they were supposed to be unintelligent and useless. It was a shame they were not well cared for and were unclean, but Ganondorf was beginning to learn that there was much more to be found once the dirt was scraped away. He turned to his tutor of the sword and shouted, "Alexa, why are there not more Gerudo who have the knowledge of medicine?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "The elders never saw a need for it."

"How idiotic!" Ganondorf yelled. Dora had truly opened his eyes to the naivety the nobles suffered. "While your soldiers focus on strength, your nobility focus on useless things like beauty and proper behavior. Tell me, commander, how does Dora fair in her swordsmanship?"

Leslie hesitated to answer, trying to be honest without telling the whole truth. "Her skill with a sword excels most, but she still needs training."

"From what I've seen, you all need improvement," Ganondorf remarked, and grinned at Leslie's look of hurt. "Dora and her mother will be moved into the castle today and the noble girls will learn about medicine from them." Such a skill would be useful for leading the Gerudo into power again, and maybe they could find a way to make him immune to the master sword.

"I am humbled, your majesty, but you really do not need to do that. My mother has so many people who look to her for care, it hardly seems suitable to have all of those commoners mingling with the nobles," Dora said, kindly protesting.

"Yes, I must agree," Leslie concurred.

Ganondorf ignored the commander and addressed Dora only. "You and your mother will be well cared for and any patients of hers are welcome to see her." It was really the least he could do to repay her loyalty, despite the treatment from the guards. It would be exciting to see the reactions of everyone once they discovered the lower class walking their noble hallways.

Dora smiled, and he found it to be enchanting. "Thank you," she said, simply.

At that, he turned from her and looked back at Leslie. "You are in charge of guaranteeing their smooth transition and that all nobles are set to work at learning. Dora will be put in charge of their teaching. When she has free time she will be training with Alexa only."

In the pause afterward, the Gerudo watching him did not agree, but had no choice. "Understood," Leslie said reluctantly.

Ganondorf turned from them, brooding. How could the Gerudo elders have allowed such a useful tool like medicine go to waste and nearly all of the knowledge die with Dora's mother?


	4. Chapter 4

Ganondorf stood in the cathedral room where the three Gerudo elders met with him on a moment's notice to speak about his most recent findings. "I must know why it is the Gerudo are so drastically divided."

The elders looked at each other at first, and then the old woman in blue on his left spoke up. "This has been the way of the Gerudo for nearly a century and we are at peace now, rather than at war. I sense that you wish to change that."

"Peace? You mean complacent!" Ganondorf protested. "The villagers you have treated like the scum of the earth are wiser than you realize, and the nobles have lost all sense of themselves so that they are useless! A couple years ago I watched a girl with more skill than any thief we have scale buildings with ease, and she was about to be punished just because of her class. Instead, I had her trained into one of the best warriors we have. Just now, I found that same girl's mother could be dying and she is the last medicine woman that we have. How can you let this happen? How can you let the Gerudo fall away from their glory?" he pleaded to know.

"We are not in a time of war, therefore there is no need for such a skill. Guards are only trained to protect us if there were an attack, and thieves to bring our resources. Those noble girls are pampered only to carry on the bloodline," Chloe, the elder dressed in red, explained.

Ganondorf was silenced by her words. "Bloodline? You mean, children? My children?"

"Precisely. One month before your coronation you are to meet with them individually and choose one to be queen."

"Wait, no," Ganondorf said, no longer amused. "I do not wish to marry. In fact, right now, all I want is for the Gerudo to be feared again."

"We are in our glory and you will cease your incessant blathering stating otherwise," the elder in green on his right scolded.

Ganondorf glared at each of them in turn. He would entertain their delusions for a time. He turned from them with his head high and left the room. His coronation could not come soon enough.

Months passed from the time he spoke with the elders, and Ganondorf dreaded the day he would finally be forced to face nobility and choose his wife. What good would a wife be anyway with no talents except fair skin and the ability to bear children?

During the passing months the sick peasants of the village were accommodated in the fortress for Dora's mother to care for them until they were well. The medicine woman also found health again, and was glad to finally be passing on her wisdom to the other girls. Most of them caught on quickly, others found that it was something they were not suited for.

Ganondorf walked by to perform his weekly check on their class when he heard sobbing coming from the medicine woman's chamber at the back of the room. He knew better than to enter, but he cared little for such formal rules.

Dora heard someone enter and when she saw it was him, she stood from the bed to face him. She did her best to disguise her sobs and stop her tears. Her eyes were red though, and her cheeks stained. Without having to ask, Dora explained. "She passed away in her sleep last night."

He had never seen someone so distraught and lost for direction as she did standing there before him. No one had ever made him feel even an ounce of sympathy, and yet he knew she needed to be comforted. He could not bring himself to do that. She had been a peasant and became a warrior. Somewhere still beaten in his mind was that stubborn thought that she was not worthy, that she was still below him. "I am sure this is very difficult for you, Dora. I will leave you to mourn, but we will need to have the services quickly."

"Services?" Dora asked, caught off guard. "You mean, I won't need to burn her?"

Ganondorf shook his head, once again remembering a disgusting truth the peasants endured. "####No Gerudo deserves such a dishonorable death. She will be cast off to the sand, just like any other Gerudo should be."

Dora smiled, despite her eyes brimming with tears, and lowered to her knees before him. She took his hand and kissed it graciously. "This means everything to me, your majesty. Thank you."

 _One more step to unifying the Gerudo_ , he thought. She released his hand and stood up again to meet his gaze directly. "You will carry on her classes," he stated, more than he asked.

"Of course, it would be an honor," Dora said, standing at attention once more.

"Excellent. You are a woman of many skills, and I am finding that such talent is very rare," he complimented before he turned and departed the room.

A few days later the weather turned beautiful, dry, hot, and sunny, opposite of Ganondorf's actual mood. Every day for three days Ganondorf ate dinner with one of the noble girls that were fifteen or fourteen years old. The first night was with Danielle, a girl who mastered the art of breathing without speaking. She did so much talking that Ganondorf was not spared a moment to think. He tried to follow along as she compared Gerudo fashion to Hyrule. Danielle gossiped about her contempt for the young Princess Zelda and the Zora Princess, Ruto. She complained about the disgusting nature of Gorons, their King, Darunia, and how they ate rocks. That led into a strange topic about the exotic foods in Kokiri. There was useful information in her ramblings to be sure, like how she must dream of being a chef, but he never had a chance to talk. After that meal, he hoped to never hear her voice again.

The next night, he ate with Abigale. Ganondorf was surprised to find that she did little talking, but a lot of staring. As he ate, he felt her eyes on him, and the entire dinner was awkward. Once he could ignore it, he was able to wonder why Dora was posted as a guard for his dinner that night. Surely her talents were needed elsewhere. Were the elders afraid of something? Was it just random circumstance? He could not help but notice her stiffened jaw and alert eyes, while the other guards seemed to be bored.

On the third night, he ate with Beatrice. They shared polite conversation for a while and she was nice enough to listen and nod while he talked about political happenings in Hyrule, and then complained about the state of things amongst the Gerudo. Afterward, he listened to her, but her chosen topic struck a nerve.

"These commoners walking around the castle all the time really ruins the peace in the castle," Beatrice said idly before taking another bite of food.

Ganondorf desperately tried to avoid taking the bait, avoid giving her the pleasure of making him mad, but her ignorance had always infuriated him. "I am beginning to learn much from them, and you should do the same," he advised.

"They are filthy, as if no one has taught them how to bathe. They are plagued with illnesses. Do you even know what sets their class apart from ours?"

He wondered how senseless her reasoning was going to be so he asked, "Why?"

"The low class is made of the most impure blood, those that are spawned with more traits of other races than of the Gerudo," Beatrice explained. "We are here to preserve our race, not taint it with filth like them."

Her words actually made him wonder. What really made a Gerudo, a Gerudo? Was it their skin, their eyes, their hair, their distinct features? Or was it loyalty and respect, their ruthlessness and skill? The Gerudo race could not die out, but did that really make the peasants such useless outcasts? "I disagree," Ganondorf said calmly.

"What?" she blurted suddenly.

"The Gerudo race is important, but that does not mean the ones of impure blood should be treated no better than slaves."

"You have no idea what you are talking about!"

Ganondorf let his anger shine. "You are the one who is not a Gerudo. You sit around the castle to be pampered for breeding. What we need are skilled healers, thieves, warriors, sorceresses, blacksmiths, archers, or even tailors."

Beatrice looked away from him, her jaw clenched tightly. He knew at least one of the professions he mentioned were more interesting to her than giving birth to a dozen children.

"This can all be changed. Everyone has a skill, but it may not be ordained for the class they were born in. This is what will put the Gerudo back on top," he explained more calmly.

In the silence that followed, Ganondorf was made aware of the presence of someone unfamiliar in the room. He or she darted out of the shadowy rafters and sped straight for Ganondorf. Suddenly, the would be assassin was knocked out of the sky by another blur and they were on the floor, struggling for control of the weapon.

He was prepared to defend, but he had also feared his life was to be ended. Who could have possibly acted so quickly to save his life?

Ganondorf was surprised to find the guard who leapt to his aid was Dora. The other guards reacted slowly, only in time to assist her in restraining the intruder and taking their weapon. Dora was the one to rip the mask from the killer's head and stand shocked at seeing who it was. Ganondorf quickly approached and stood eye-to-eye with Alexa. It was Dora's wisdom that prevented him from slaying his tutor on the spot. "What would you say for your treason?" she asked with calm anger.

"Your revolution of the Gerudo will end in failure! You will defile the peace we and the elders have worked so hard to achieve," Alexa spat at Ganondorf.

He was quick to retort, "Then we will have to erase the old ways and begin writing the new!" He drew his dagger and slammed it through Alexa's throat, only to rip it back out. The guards dropped her and allowed her to gag and bleed until she was dead.

Beatrice screamed, but before she could run, Ganondorf provided a warning. "Think on what we discussed here. I know you can do more than bear children, I know you are an excellent seamstress, and so if that is what you desire out of life I can make it happen. Do no breathe a word of this to anyone." Beatrice nodded, her eyes full of fear, and she fled the room. The clip clip of her heels faded down the corridor. Ganondorf turned his attention to the guards. "Dora, you are in charge of these women now."

She immediately turned to the other guards and said, "Dispose of this body quickly in the wasteland and avoid detection." They obeyed, although hesitantly, and left the room with two women carrying the body and the other two ahead as scouts. Dora looked back at Ganondorf and said, "No one will know of this, I promise."

"Very well, Dora. I have a proposition for you," he said, smirking. It seemed to him that he rarely was happy, but when she was near he could smile easily. His moments of most clarity were always when she was with him, and he began to wonder if this was all just coincidence. He wondered, was she more Hylian than Gerudo? "This revolution, as Alexa called it, will bring the Gerudo back into power, as I have a grand plan. It will take a few years to complete but I will succeed. There is still one month before my coronation so I would ask that you be my personal guard, and those women will stay under your command in the meantime."

"That would be a tremendous honor," she said gratefully and smiled. "Why me?"

"It was you who made me realize that there was something wrong with the way of the elders and you have been nothing but faithful to me. It only makes sense to confide in you," he reasoned aloud. "There is an ultimate power in Hyrule and once I claim it, I will be unstoppable."

"You mean the Triforce?" she asked, curious.

Ganondorf was confused. "How do you know about that?"

"My mother told me about it once, an old legend that the Gerudo no longer discuss," Dora explained.

"The tutors tried to hide this from me. There must be something else to the legend," he wondered.

"I would be happy to share my knowledge with you, sire," Dora offered eagerly and Ganondorf accepted with a nod. They sat down at the table and finished the dinner while she spoke. "The Triforce was placed in a sacred realm, protected by seven sages, once the goddesses departed Hyrule. It is locked within the Sacred Realm, and the entrance to that realm is inside the Temple of Time, which has several keys. To access it your need the Spiritual stones: the Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby, and Zora's Sapphire. You need the Ocarina of Time and the secret melody to activate the three stones. This will get you through the door of time. For the final key, you need the hero to pull the master sword, but it can only be the hero selected by the goddesses. The person to take the Triforce will either make the sacred realm a golden land or a land of corruption." She paused for a few minutes and waited for him to ask a question. It was nice for once to have someone actually listen to her and not question her intelligence just because she was a peasant. "There's still a downfall though. The Triforce is the symbol for the balance of power, wisdom, and courage, therefore the person seeking it must also have this balance. If you are only strong in one area, the Triforce will split itself and you will have to find the two bearers of the other pieces."

Ganondorf absorbed the information Dora provided and committed it to memory. She uncovered some secrets that he had not discovered in the ancient book. When it seemed she had no more to share, he said, "This information you have given me will be valuable when the time comes to put my plan in motion." Dora smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes while she ate a few more bites. Ganondorf found it ironic that he began his dinner with a noble girl and ended it with a peasant turned warrior. He almost laughed out loud when he thought that maybe Dora would work her way up from peasant to queen. His thoughts came back to him though. "Who ordered you to be posted as a guard for these meetings?"

Dora grinned, most pleased with herself. "You could say I did. I overheard Alexa and a few of your other tutors planning your demise. I knew I needed to protect you, so I crafted a small poison to make one of the guards sick and volunteered myself as a replacement."

He could hardly believe the ways she continued to amaze him and he desperately tried to hide how gratefully impressed he was. Thanks to Dora, his revolution could continue. She truly was the definition of Gerudo.

Dora rested the silver fork against the exquisite plate and stood to leave, but remembered to bow respectfully first. "I want you to know, my lord, that you may call on me at any time. My sword is yours to command. Because of you I was granted more time with my mother than if we had stayed in our old shack. She died happy, having shared her knowledge of medicine, knowing that good changes are coming. I can never repay you for all you have done for me."

Ganondorf did not know what to say, so in the following silence, she turned confidently and left the room. He suddenly noticed how radiant her clean hair and skin was. Her voice was easy to listen to, and she was well educated. He recalled how gracefully she ate with her slender fingers. He felt light as a feather when she was near him. He rubbed his forehead. Was this really happening?


	5. Chapter 5

Peasants and nobles alike crowded the main roads of Gerudo Valley leading up to the fortress. Some were happier than others to bring in the era of change. It was clear what Ganondorf's views were on the social classes of Gerudo and they would be immediately dissolved. It was also clear that the elders were against the idea of equality. Once Ganondorf was king, the elders no longer made the laws.

Ganondorf was no fool though. The elders had been in charge for so long that to forgo their ritual would leave doubts about his kingship among their followers, and could start a civil war. There was also the strong possibility that the threat on his life ran higher than his tutors. Dora and her group of thieves were well hidden to watch for danger. They also awaited the signal to strike.

Ganondorf stood on the tallest balcony that overlooked all of Gerudo territory. The air of excitement filled him with anticipation to begin the Gerudo revolution. The three elders wearing green, red, and blue stood before him. It was Chloe who addressed him. "You have completed all of your training. You have the skill of a thief, the power of a mighty sorcerer, and the knowledge of an ancient. Today, on the first day of your sixteenth year, as the male born to our race after one hundred years, you will be sworn in as rightful king. Before the coronation may continue, to ensure the purity and stability of our race, have you chosen a noble woman to be queen?"

Shock briefly crossed his face before he disguised it with confidence. Ganondorf said, "I do not need to choose a queen to be sworn in as king."

The elder in blue reasoned with him. "If anything should happen to you then the woman you choose will lead the Gerudo until her passing, or a new male is born. We made that mistake once and we will not do it again. Her oath of loyalty must be made at the same time as yours."

It was clear to Ganondorf what was happening. To prevent him from being king the elders were using their influence against him. He gauged the response of the audience, and it was clear several agreed with the elders. In that case, he needed to make his next move. Out of Abigale, Beatrice, and Danielle, who was the lesser evil? Abigale did not have much to say, Beatrice had the most knowledge but only of Gerudo history, and Danielle was opinionated on subjects of no significance. They were so inapt that he could not even pretend to choose one for a queen, and he feared that they may think his intentions were true. There was only one he would ever consider, and one that would know it was just a part of the plan. As if their thoughts occurred simultaneously, Dora appeared at the doorway to the balcony. "In that case, I have chosen." Ganondorf declared, "There is no one better suited to lead in my absence. I choose Dora."

She walked out onto the balcony with her head held high like a queen and grace in her step like a princess. The oo's and aah's from the audience made it clear they agreed with his decision.

"She is not of nobility," protested the elder dressed in green.

"The other nobles lack the brain and skill to lead. She is the only one," Ganondorf said, his tone final.

It was the crowd's boisterous cheers that made the decision for the elders clear. To disagree with them was to lose their loyalty.

Together, Ganondorf and Dora repeated the elder's oath. "I, Ganondorf, solemnly swear to protect this land and its people, to uphold justice, and always bring honor to my people."

"I, Ganondora, solemnly swear to protect this land and its people, to uphold justice, and always bring honor to my people."

Ganondorf stared at her, aghast. Was that really her name, or did she modify it as a disguise for their deception? Two of the elders placed heavy capes over their shoulders, signifying the completion of the ritual. Ganondorf turned to the crowd and waved, giving the signal.

Dora was the first to react by taking out the elder behind her with a long knife embedded up her torso, into her lung. Another Gerudo lunged from above, landed on top of the elder in blue, and brought a concealed knife into the flesh of her shoulder. The last elder, in green, was already collapsed to the floor with five arrows sticking out of her back. Four Gerudo appeared from their places of hiding and came to stand on the balcony with their king and queen.

The crowd was shocked, even appalled, but the ritual was complete and the king was declared. "As of this moment, the people standing beside you are no longer above or below you, they are only equals. Only by working as one unit can we revive the Gerudo's power and bring back our prosperity. You may not know this, but we are talked about among the rest of Hyrule as nothing more than filth and I will not stand for that. We are strong. I will ground every last person beneath my boot until there are none left who would doubt our superiority. We will bring Hyrule to its knees!"

The consensual cheer of the crowd was overwhelming, but they were not without protests. "You are a murderer! You will ruin our lives!"

Ganondorf was not yet all powerful, but he had a few tricks. He borrowed Dora's bow and an arrow from her quiver, as any Gerudo thief was not really prepared without them, and released an arrow faster than the eye could see. The arrow traveled with a purple stream of energy behind it, like a dark falling star, and impaled one of the naysayers. The energy consumed her and she fell to the ground dead.

With the warning fresh in their minds, Ganondorf added, "For the rest of you who do not agree with my methods, I will give you time to change your mind. I will personally insure the quick elimination of traitors to the throne," he promised.

The crowd's mixture of frightened whispers and applauds of consent helped Ganondorf understand who was with him and who was potentially a threat. They slowly dispersed, seeing that the theatrics were done. Ganondorf turned to Dora, who had just finished instructions for collecting the bodies of the elders, and said, "Tomorrow we will begin visiting with every Gerudo to judge their strengths and weakness so that I may determine their role here. Regardless, everyone will be trained to fight."

Dora stood attentive and nodded to agree. "I apologize for being so bold as to step forward when the elders demanded you choose a queen."

"You were the only possible choice, or else the full extent of my plan might have been revealed too soon," he said plainly.

Dora's usually calm face saddened and she turned her eyes to the floor. "There is much to do, my lord, if you'll excuse me."

Ganondorf nodded and she hurried away. He was confused by her reaction. Normally, Dora's emotions were very well controlled around her superiors, yet something he had said, or the way he had said it, caused her to falter. In fact, she was running out of superiors, and it seemed he was the last one above her. He had willingly, yet without acknowledging it, placed her in charge of everyone that was to be faithful to him. It had started three years ago when he demanded she be trained like a warrior. Although he never made a decision after that without his goal in mind, she always seemed to be the one that lighted the way for the next step. Never once had he considered how she felt about that.

His unusually emotional thoughts led him to the practice room for sorcery where he found his mentor, the only one remaining that he could trust. "Agahnim," he greeted.

He turned to him, his eyes bright with an evil grin. "Well, your majesty, how does it feel to be king?"

"Grand, actually," Ganondorf replied, distracted.

"That was some display you put on out there," Agahnim commented again, trying to bring back his student's focus. When all he did was nod, he asked, "There is nothing left to stop you from shaping the Gerudo into any form you desire it to take, and yet you sit here in despair."

"Who is Ganondora?" Ganondorf asked suddenly.

Agahnim wore a cowl that covered all but his eyes, so his devious grin was hidden well. "No one ever told you?"

With a glare, Ganondorf answered impatiently, "There is a lot that no one has told me, so out with it."

"Ganondora was the only girl born to the medicine woman and she was born only seconds apart from you," he explained without hesitation. "That woman desperately wanted to give birth to a man that would bring change to the Gerudo. Instead, she had a girl, but she did her best to raise that child with wisdom and strength. Your fate is very closely intertwined with the one you know as Dora, and your journey has only just begun."

Again, Ganondorf had that strange thought, the curious sensation, of wondering how Dora felt about all of this. "Already there has been so much that made our paths cross on many occasions. Why did the elders so desperately try to shield me from information like this and the Triforce?"

"To prevent exactly what is happening right now. Because you trusted your instincts, you were unstoppable and you will succeed," Agahnim explained. "I am looking forward to it."

Ganondorf bid his tutor a good night and departed the room at the top of the tower to slowly wander the castle. First, he paced along castle wall and made sure the service for the elders ran smoothly, while enjoying the cooling desert air. Despite their stubbornness to stand in his way, he allowed the people who followed the elders to honor their long lives before casting their bodies off to join with the desert. He watched the entire rest of the ritual, but his mind was not on it.

Finally, he decided to go by Dora's room. For why, he was not sure, maybe to see if she was sleeping, to talk to her if she wasn't, or to see if she was even there. His mind had never been plagued so by a person before, only by dreams of power and victory in the war for the Triforce. Obsessing over another person was entirely different. How did she feel? Had he unknowingly hurt her feelings earlier? Why did he do nothing but think about her? Did she know what he knew about them?

Ganondorf reached her room with the door cracked open and found it was dark inside. Perhaps she was asleep then and he would need to come back the next day. Then, he heard her talking.

"Mom, I need your guidance now more than ever," Dora said, her voice shaking, as if she were crying. "Remember how I always talked about that boy I really liked but I never did anything about despite your advice? Well, I never told you it was Ganondorf, even though I'm sure you already knew. I always thought a fool like me could never mean anything to him. You always told me my place never mattered because I was worth more than that. He knows that too. He has entrusted me with training his soldiers and providing roles for the Gerudo. Your dream is finally coming true. His coronation was today but the elders made him choose a queen, and he chose me. I thought that finally I had won his heart, just to find out it was only part of the plan." She sniffled and sobbed for a few seconds before continuing. "Mom, please help him see how much I need him, that I love him, and I hope that one day he can return those feelings."

Ganondorf heard her roll over and stayed to listen to the quiet crying of her aching heart as she drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Sleep did not come easily that night. Ganondorf's room was dark except for a fire burning in the hearth to keep away the cold night air of the desert. He was turned away from the light, wrapped tightly in a blanket, but it was not the air that gave him chills. It was the longing and sorrow in Dora's voice that haunted him, the desire in her tone when she hoped he would one day return those feelings, and the brief moment of happiness hidden underneath her sobs when she thought he loved her enough to choose her as his queen.

It really was no wonder now why she suddenly looked so saddened after the coronation was so violently ended. Ganondorf wanted to avoid falsely leading a noble girl into a relationship by choosing Dora. Never once did he consider that she might take him seriously as well. Had it been Abigale, Beatrice, or Danielle he would never question his actions or worry if their feelings were hurt, but it was Dora, the most valuable asset the Gerudo ever had. She had hoped there was more to his decision than just sticking to a plan.

Could Ganondorf deny that he played a part in her affections? From what she said in her room, he could only assume this infatuation began three years ago when he saved her from a life of turmoil. Her feelings could only have deepened when he stood up against her commander while her mother was ill. Then, on top of it all, he welcomed her family into his home. Had it been anyone else, would his decisions have been different?

There was another force at work, something invisible that made it impossible for him to avoid her. Dora was the one person he did not want to see frown, that he did not want to hurt, that he did not want to lose. He made the decisions that brought her into his life, so did he subconsciously want her to be close to him? She was talented enough to help him achieve his dreams, beautiful enough to be queen, and faithful enough to be a wife, so what more could he have asked for?

 _Is this love?_

Ganondorf had never considered love to exist, that it was impossible for him to want something more than ultimate power, but he thought only of her. Perhaps he could not view it as love, or say he loved her, but he knew having her at his side would empower him, and so her happiness was worth it.

Finally, with a resolve in mind, he found sleep.

Ganondorf's sleep was not long. He woke at dawn and went for breakfast. All of the noble girls were there, each one of them casting daggers at him with their stares, but he proudly ignored them. In fact, just to make them even more angry, he ordered a guard to call on Dora for breakfast.

Obedient and predictable, Dora came to the table with little fuss, but did not fail to mention, "I have many Gerudo to review today and my own training to attend, so I cannot stay long."

He smiled as he said, "As queen you are expected to eat with the king and your people."

She was caught off guard by his statement and stared at him with a raised eyebrow. In front of the others she could say nothing except, "Of course, my lord."

"Going forward your training will strictly be with me," Ganondorf added, watching her expression brighten. Again, there was that special treatment, and he knew it was why she admired him.

"Your majesty, it is not proper for a queen to put herself in harm's way. She is to be protected at all costs," Beatrice protested arrogantly.

Ganondorf glared at her and suddenly it all made sense. Dora was the only one who had ever willingly put her life on the line for his own and somehow he knew he could do the same for her. "That may be fine for the Queen of Hyrule or the Zora Princess, but the Queen of Gerudo, of thieves, should be a role model for the rest of the Gerudo to follow." When he looked back to Dora, he learned something else, that it was not just the way he treated her special, but that she was the only one that earned that treatment. "Dora, I need you to stay behind so that we can talk," he ordered.

The rest of them finished their breakfast in silence and then left, but not without showing the king, and reluctantly the queen, proper respect. Dora looked at Ganondorf nervously and said, "What is it you wish to discuss?"

Bluntly, he answered, "You."

Startled, Dora placed a hand flat on her chest and said, "Me? Why?"

"In just the past twenty-four hours I have learned so much and I need to understand. Your name in itself, Ganondora, was a mystery to me until just yesterday. Why did you hide it from me? Do you know why that name was given to you?" he asked.

"My mother always told me it was because I would bring change."

"That's not the entire truth. You have brought change. Your mother thought you were going to be the next king, but I was born at the same time," he explained. "Ganondorf is the only name given to the king. Some might consider that an insult, but I think it is well deserved."

Dora was quiet for a minute, but in watching her eyes it was clear there was much she desired to say and was coming to the decision if she could trust him. She took a deep breath and looked down at her empty plate. "I am proud to have my name. One day, I told a few of the girls who were teasing me, and they called me a heretic, a blasphemer. From that day forward, I never gave out my full name. When you asked me for my name I knew I could not let you find out."

"To make your oath true you needed to say your full name, and so everyone now knows," Ganondorf reasoned. He was glad that she was proud of it. "As queen, the name suits you, but I will continue to call you Dora."

She smiled warmly and said, "I would like that."

An awkward silence followed, but Ganondorf knew there was more he needed her to tell him. "I came by your room last night after the elders were put to rest, and I overheard you talking alone," he confessed.

Dora gasped. "My lord, I never intended, I never thought." She stopped stammering and blushed wildly. When she could barely stand the burning in her cheeks she got up to leave, but he was faster and grabbed her arm before she could go.

"You helped me see that my choice to make you queen was not just for the guise. Peasant or noble matters not without skill and devotion. Being noble does not make you more or less beautiful. Being a peasant does not make you less wise. Only you are fit to be Queen of the Gerudo thieves," Ganondorf admitted, standing to his full height. "I chose you because I need you at my side."

Dora could not have smiled brighter. She rushed and hugged him tightly as if he were a dream that might disappear. Ganondorf hoped she felt as relieved as he did. Holding her slender body against him and feeling her strong arms around him brought clarity to his emotions. There was not another soul that made him feel such euphoria. It was only Dora that bewitched him and brought out the emotion that was caged within his heart.


	7. Chapter 7

The three long tables in the cathedral room were pushed against the walls, and at the far end of the room stood two wooden thrones padded with feather filled velvet. Ganondorf was more tired sitting in that seat all day than wielding a weapon. He and Dora saw only the peasants that day, and his worst fears came true. It was the elder's arrogance that prevented them from tapping their potential. Dora sparred with each one and most were capable with a sword. They should have been deadly with a weapon, but were never given proper training because they were just looked down on as useless.

Dora knew every one of them by name and already had an idea of what they could do. Some of them cooked, sewed, whittled, were proficient at archery, and there were a slight few Ganondorf could sense dark energy in. This talent was so rare that he immediately sent them off to Agahnim to be trained.

Finally, the last one for the day before dinner. She was about his age, well fed, and he noticed Dora smiled fondly at her. "Rachelle, it is very good to see you," she greeted warmly.

This was the first time the whole day that Dora began a conversation. Ganondorf was intrigued.

"We never thought you would make it this far," Rachelle responded.

"Neither did I," Dora admitted and glanced at Ganondorf. He could not tell if this was a friend of Dora's or an enemy, or what her intent was.

"You already know what I'm good at," she said.

"I do."

"On behalf of all of us that were either friends or foe, we want you to know that we are thankful to have you as queen. We know that our days of disparage are over and there are bright days to look forward to," Rachelle said, avoiding the lump in her throat that was her pride.

Dora stood up and approached her with the hilt of a practice sword out to her. Rachelle took it from the sheath. "We always knew Ganondorf would be the one to bring change and I am proud to say that I can be a part of that," Dora said, her tone superior. "Now, let us settle our old score," she challenged. "The loser is the first one to yield."

Ganondorf was on the edge of his seat as he watched their fight. There was no doubt they were equals in swordplay, but what was her other skill that Dora talked about? He sensed no magic energy in Rachelle. Their battle lasted nearly ten minutes before Dora held Rachelle with the point of her sword dangerously tight against her back. She yielded.

"You always did make the best sparring partner," Dora acknowledged, taking the sword back. She wiped the sweat from her face and turned back to Ganondorf. "If she were not such an amazing architect I would have her as the new weapons trainer. She is skilled, even for missing a finger."

"An architect?" Ganondorf questioned. "What do you build?"

Dora nodded at Rachelle, encouraging her to answer. "I design new houses and renovate existing ones. I could really build anything," she replied, hoping she was not being too proud.

"Thank you, Rachelle," Dora said, shaking her friend's hand and dismissing her.

"An architect," Ganondorf repeated as Dora sat beside him again. "Your battle with her was impressive and equally matched. You will train her directly, and when battle calls she will lead if needed. How do you know her?"

"She was my number one contender growing up. We realized it was better to settle our differences with duels instead of words or fists," Dora explained. "I know everyone by name, and most of them were bullies except a few. That was only because they thought I was a fool to chase such a wild dream. Now they see what can be done when they just put their body, heart, and mind into it."

"The title of queen was your goal?"

She giggled, then covered her mouth when she realized how innocent she sounded. "You could say that. You were the only one who ever treated me like I was worth something, except my mother of course. Even my peers treated me like an outcast."

"I noticed that none of them inherited pure Gerudo traits," Ganondorf pointed out, looking for her explanation.

"They are primarily Hylian. The taller ears, paler skin, and eye color," Dora replied.

"What about you?" he inquired.

"Also, Hylian, but only my complexion betrays my Gerudo heritage. My father belonged to the Sheikah clan. I was born to be a great warrior."

Ganondorf recalled his lesson about the shadow warriors. They were fierce warriors and masters of stealth, sworn to protect the Hylian Royal Family. It was assumed that the longer the peace in Hyrule lasted, the more the Sheikah were dying out.

"Shall we go to dinner?" Dora asked, holding her hand out to him as a gesture.

Silently, he accepted it and walked beside her to the great hall.

There was not enough room for all Gerudo to sit inside the hall, so many ate while sitting on the floor. Food was delivered to everyone without discretion. Some took much while others took little. Spread out as they were in the valley it did not appear that there so many of them, but crammed into the fortress halls it was clear there were more than it was possible to feed. Chloe was right, it would be difficult to feed all those people. Ganondorf turned to Dora and under the buzz of the crowd said, "We need to have more thieves trained immediately."

Dora nodded to agree, knowing exactly what he meant.

The next day was dedicated to the nobles who lived in the castle. These were people Ganondorf was familiar with so he made the decision on their roles in his new kingdom. Dora was still there to test their skill with a sword, and she was discouraged to find that most lacked the ability to even hold it properly. Ganondorf was amused as the nobles feebly tried to spar in their tight corsets and exquisite dresses. After each one, Dora would return to her throne, and Ganondorf noted her silence and the cold glint in her eyes.

During the switch of one noble to the next, Dora leaned over to Ganondorf and whispered, "I am surprised to find these women can cook and sew. It does not fit them."

Ganondorf answered back, "Why do you think it is they cannot wield a weapon? Did you not know the noble women are there only to reproduce? The elders saw no need for them to learn valuable skills like medicine."

"Most of them have learned much in the way of healing, but they can do so much more, just like those who live in the village."

The eighth and final noble approached them. The Gerudo in total equaled almost two hundred, a fraction were nobles, a larger fraction were servants and guards with combat training, but the largest were the peasants, nearly one hundred in all. Ganondorf was relieved it was finally over and hoped to show Dora his mastery of dark magic.

"Abigale," he greeted.

"My lord," she responded and curtsied gracefully.

Dora was not impressed.

"What are you proficient-." His fingers clenched the arms of his throne suddenly and he pushed himself out of his seat. "How is this possible?"

Dora was frightened at his sudden reaction. She stood to join him and asked, "What is the matter?" She looked confused from him to Abigale, but she had not made a move.

"I am a sorceress," Abigale answered, her eyes filled with vengeance.

"How have you hidden this power from me?" Ganondorf demanded to know and approached her.

"I learned on my own how to control and conceal it so that no one would think of me as a freak," she explained, taking a step back from him as he came closer.

He stopped, sensing her hostility. "You would use your power against me?" he asked, outraged. Ganondorf could not believe that her energy still continued to rise.

Abigale sneered. "Why would I help you? You chose a peasant girl over me! You had no idea what I was capable of and assumed that my silence meant weakness. You are no better than the elders you killed. At least they cared about us!"

Dora stepped forward to defend him out of instinct, but Ganondorf held his hand out to stop her. "The Gerudo are not meant to live secluded from the world, hiding in the sand, ruled by others. We are superior and we should be in control. To achieve this, we cannot be divided any longer." Ganondorf also prepared to attack, and hoped to catch her by surprise with his experience and training.

"We must remain pure, yet you will taint our blood with this Hylian half breed! I wanted you, Ganondorf, I really did, and to have your children. But if I can't have you then no one will," Abigale shouted and thrust her arms forward as a burst of energy flung from the palm of her hands.

Ganondorf retaliated with a loud battle cry, firing dark energy at her that was twice as powerful as her own. He realized he did not avoid her attack because it was not aimed for him, but for Dora. He heard both of them shriek at the same time, and he watched Abigale fall to her knees while convulsing on the floor. He turned to Dora who slumped against the throne weakly with a hand on her chest. Two guards rushed to support her. When he looked back to Abigale she struggled to stand. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes and approached her with swift strides.

Abigale was too dazed to move before he gripped her forearm. He not only prevented her from fleeing, but squeezed so hard she fell to her knees and begged. "That hurts! Please, my lord, don't hurt me. I love you. Please forgive me."

"You are without loyalty! You should have remembered that I am the most powerful being in the world before you attacked my queen. Your gift of sorcery was a talent. It is a shame that you cannot be trusted," Ganondorf said, mercilessly. He grabbed Abigale's face in his other hand and pumped her body full of dark energy, overloading her mind, heart, and soul and breaking her down from the inside out. He stopped her organic functions that allowed her to live, and when she went lifeless in his hand, he sucked the energy back to his body. "Burn her," Ganondorf ordered. "Burn her for the entire valley to see tonight as a message that deception and treachery will not be tolerated!" The remaining guard in Dora's charge left her side and dragged Abigale's body out of the room.

Dora was unconscious when Ganondorf returned, but he could see the darkness in her veins receding so her body was on the mend. "Take her to my chambers to rest for now," he ordered. Once they were out of view, he immediately climbed the staircase from the side of the cathedral room that led to an adjoining tower.

Agahnim turned from a long, wooden table filled with books of dark magic and greeted his friend. "How fairs the interviews?"

Ganondorf snarled, unsnapping his robe and letting it fall to the floor. "Abigale was a sorceress," he explained and came to stand by Agahnim, towering over him by a foot.

"Is that so?" Agahnim asked with a chuckle, his eyes glinting with evil.

"I had never sensed it before. She called herself a freak! Then, she attacked Dora," Ganondorf explained, slamming his fist on the table.

"I take it you killed her," Agahnim assumed.

Ganondorf nodded. "I need you to make armor for Dora, bracers, with the power to deflect magic."

Agahnim raised a brow and asked, "You want to protect her? What about everyone else?"

Frustrated, Ganondorf threw his hands up and walked away to the middle of the small room. His chest ached and he clenched his fist. "My enemies may wield magic. I can't lose her, Agahnim."

Silenced filled the room for half a minute before Agahnim said, "You can grant her sorcery just as powerful as yours."

Curious, Ganondorf looked back at him and asked, "How? Out with it."

"The Triforce, of course. You only need part of it and if you can split just one piece and give it to her, she will be a sorceress."

"Split it?" he questioned. "I would never do that."

Agahnim snickered. "You don't sound convinced. One day you will have to admit your feelings for her. What if someone finds out your union was never consummated?"

Ganondorf turned completely around and looked at the sorcery master as if he had two heads. "What would happen?"

The laughter that ensued at Ganondorf's naivety was cruel. "If you do not have sex with Dora your union can be questioned and those that are loyal to you may begin to doubt."

"My rule is final now without the elders, and I say that she is my queen, consummation or not," Ganondorf declared.

"You can't fight tradition," Agahnim whispered, turning to his books to work on Dora's bracers.

Angered, Ganondorf slammed the door as he left the tower room.

Ganondorf agonized over what Agahnim said. He knew to say that everyone must be faithful to him did not make it true. He and Dora were not yet sleeping in the same room, and what if someone caught on and the rumors began? Had he not just ordered the guards to take her to his bed, implying that he was not sharing it? Someone was bound to find that she slept in her room still. Panic knotted his stomach as he entered his chambers.

Dora rested peacefully on her side and she was beautiful just doing that: her full lips, ripe volumptious breasts, and the way her curves dipped below her ribs and rose again at her hips. It was not to say he had never thought of sex before, or never enjoyed pleasing himself once or twice, but in a way the act frightened him. Did it mean he would have to reveal his weaknesses to her? Would she be disgusted by him?

He reached out to touch her face gently and traced one finger along her lips. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open and he retracted. She smiled when she recognized him. "My lord, I did not expect you to be here."

"Is it not my duty?" he asked cockily.

Dora smiled, flattered, and said, "If that is your desire." She tried to sit up, but she had to move slowly as her body protested her movements. "Does it always hurt that much?"

"While a blade may sting and bring blood, it requires you be near your enemy. Dark magic can cause serious damage and from great distances, which is why it is such a rare and useful talent," Ganondorf explained, but he could only think about reaching out and touching her again. "I have requested that enchanted bracers be made for only you so that you can learn to fight against magic. I will teach you how."

"I will be the best student you have ever had," she promised.

After dinner they separated to take care of their own duties. Dora checked in on the Gerudo, making sure the peasants were accommodated, that everyone was staying in line, and that there were no fights. She would act as mediator for any disputes so that they all could be handled civilly, and if not she would make sure the fight was fair and the strongest won. It was also a reminder to the Gerudo that they were not forgotten, so they understood how important they were. Once her rounds were done, she sparred with Rachelle to set the standard high for all the Gerudo.

Ganondorf did his own rounds, watching the guards train, criticizing every detail. He made sure they understood that no action was to be taken without his approval first. Before dusk arrived, he returned to the cathedral room and practiced with Agahnim. He always pushed himself beyond his limits, but he would not stop until he had unlocked of all of his power.

Once the sun set, Dora's guards took Abigale's body to the clearing between the empty shacks the peasants once used, where it was viewable from every balcony in the fortress. They took straw from the stables and covered her body with it. A torch was used to light the straw that eventually caught the flesh on fire. The glow of the blaze caught the attention of the Gerudo. Word spread quickly, and before the body was a crisp each balcony, window, and doorway was filled with the horrified eyes of onlookers. Rumors and whispers spread faster than the plague and Ganondorf was satisfied. He saw Dora, standing and chatting with Rachelle, and she caught his satisfied gaze.

 _I must have her tonight_ , he thought.

As the fire died down the Gerudo returned to their business and so did Ganondorf. He went back inside and traveled from the top of the fortress to Dora's room on the first floor.

"What are you _doing_?" Beatrice's nasty voice called.

Dora turned, trying to hide the fear in her eyes. "I am going to bed, as should you," she retorted.

"Do you not share a bed with your husband now?" Beatrice asked suspiciously. Then, she jumped to conclusions. "Have you not made love to him yet?"

Dora stuttered before she could respond. "I have, but there is something I must get from my room." She moved to enter her chambers.

"Liar," Beatrice accused, stepping forward to block Dora's path. "Prove me wrong. How big is it?"

"I- What kind of a question is that? I have no time for such a silly game," Dora choked, trying to be smooth about it.

"You know you're not really married until you've had sex. That's just how it is. What would everyone say?"

"How does that really have anything to do with it?"

Ganondorf rounded the corner suddenly, but tried not to appear frantic. "Dora," he called. "I do not like to be kept waiting."

"Of course, my lord," Dora said, turning, thankful for the interruption. "I just need to grab a change of clothes for the morning, but I was held up in conversation. Excuse me."

Beatrice stepped to the side and allowed Dora entry to her room. The whole time Ganondorf waited, Beatrice stared skeptically at him. Finally, Dora reappeared with clothes in her hand and they left Beatrice behind.

"That was close," Dora whispered, even once they were out of earshot. He remained silent, lost in thought.

They entered Ganondorf's chambers, but as soon as the door was closed, he took Dora in his arms and kissed her suddenly. Dora blushed all over, like fire burning her cheeks. Once he finally pulled back, she said, "You do not need to do this just because society says so." She looked in his eyes by the fire in the hearth and saw his hunger, his longing. "That's not why though, is it?"

"I am going to make you mine."

That night, Ganondorf realized he never could have fathomed how amazing sex with Dora could be. She played to his ego with her seductive words. She bent to his will in every way and he explored her body, her weaknesses, until his desires were fulfilled. Her wonderful screams filled the room and he knew by her smile of bliss that she was not disappointed, and that in fact her dreams had just come true. They fell asleep with their bodies so close they were almost one.


	8. Chapter 8

Ganondorf had eagerly awaited this moment, allowing the Gerudo two years to train to their full potential. He refused to make a move until he was convinced that they could function as one and that all traitors had been filtered out.

Death Mountain stood beyond Kakariko Village like a monument to time itself. Ganondorf began his ascension before dawn and reached his destination just as the world woke with the sun. The opening to the cavern that housed the Gorons was wider than it was high, so if Ganondorf had been any taller he would not have fit.

The Gorons moved about their business not as normal people, but by tucking in and rolling from one place to another. The cavern was made of several levels all connected by tunnels and ramps. His presence was noticed by one of the rock eating natives who scampered to notify their leader. Suddenly, all of the Gorons stopped moving and stared at him. It was clear they were not accustom to strangers and would not take to him kindly.

A powerful looking Goron emerged from a hallway on the lowest floor, with his thick arms crossed, and looked up to Ganondorf. "I am Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and I demand to know who you are and why you are trespassing here."

"I am the King of the Gerudo Thieves and I come on a mission to collect the Spiritual Stone of Fire. I understand it is under your protection and you would do well to hand it over immediately," Ganondorf responded confidently.

The Goron leader laughed. "You must be joking, to think that I would just hand it over to you. We don't like strangers and we certainly do not need anything from you, thief." Darunia raised his arms up, and Ganondorf's eyes lifted to a pedestal hanging high above him. An odd shaped ruby levitated from the pedestal and into Darunia's hands. It was the Goron's ruby. Ganondorf muttered a curse to himself.

"I did not expect you to make this easy," Ganondorf said sinisterly. He raised his hands, with his palms out, and an aura of purple surrounded them. The energy separated into a dozen small orbs, the size of eggs, and disappeared through the mountain side.

"What are you doing?" Darunia asked angrily.

Ganondorf chuckled with sick amusement. "Until you hand over the spiritual stone, your precious rock cavern will be infested with dodongos. If you continue this resistance I will make it impossible for you to even entire your mine."

"That's impossible. The dodongos have been extinct for years," Darunia countered.

Ganondorf heard heavy rumbling approach him quickly from behind. He stepped to avoid two Gorons rolling into the cavern. They popped open and stood up in a panic. "Darunia! We were picking rocks to bring back from the mine when suddenly a swarm of baby dodongos attacked us!"

Darunia glared at Ganondorf. "That is easily dealt with and we don't need help from the likes of you."

Without a word, Ganondorf turned from them and left the cavern casually, as if he were giving up, but Darunia ordered him to be followed. Once outside, Ganondorf stood on a path overlooking the entrance to the rock cavern and looked around curiously. He knew he was being watched and so he said, "This should make you change your mind." He reached out as if to grip the mountain side with his hands and tugged with all of his might. The mountain just above the entrance began to shake and suddenly it crumbled to the ground, caving in the only entrance to the mine with a ton of boulders. Satisfied with his work, he turned back to the shocked Gorons and said, "I can clear your path again, once you hand over the ruby. Until then, the dodongos will thrive and multiply. Your entire race will starve to death and the dodongos will feed on your corpses!"

"Monster!" One of the Gorons who followed him shouted.

The other hit his friend and said, frightened, "If he can do that to the mountain, what do you think he can do to you?"

Ganondorf cackled and turned from them. "You can find me in Gerudo Valley once you are ready to submit to my demands."

Dora stood before the Zora King and the Princess Ruto. She was sopping wet from climbing up behind the waterfall that blocked the entrance to the domain of the Zoras. It had been a very arduous task that required she use all of her strength and skill, but she was rewarded when she entered unnoticed. The Zora king was flabbergasted to see a woman of the Gerudo enter his throne room without an escort. Tied to her waist was a pouch that would either be a gift of thanks for their cooperation or a gift to persuade them to her cause.

"Who are you?" the king asked, alarmed. His daughter hid behind him, but peeped her oversized head out curiously.

"My name is Dora, a Gerudo thief, sent on a mission by our new king that I cannot fail or face dire consequences. I have come a great distance and suffered many trials to come to your door step, fair king, and I ask for one small item for my trouble," Dora explained, hoping to play to his kindness.

"What would that be?"

"I require the Spiritual Stone of Water," Dora requested.

"For what purpose?" he questioned, suddenly suspicious.

Dora knew to tread lightly. "The Gerudo require it, or else our entire race may be lost."

"The only purpose of the Zora's Sapphire is to grant access to the power of the goddesses. The protection of that stone is my sworn duty to the King of Hyrule. You may not have it," he answered sternly.

"I see," Dora said, frowning. "That is regrettable. We Gerudo will have to face our demise on our own then. Please, have this. It was a gift I wished to give as thanks for the stone, but you may have it anyway." She opened the pouch on her hip to retrieve a large fish, but not before opening a small vile and dousing it with deadly poison. It was the princess who eagerly approached her and took it.

"Oh! It's Lord Jabu Jabu's favorite. Can I give it to him, Daddy? Please?" Ruto begged.

The Zora King nodded and Ruto took the bait. "You are very kind, Dora, unlike the Gerudo I have met in previous experiences. Perhaps under different circumstances I could have granted you the stone you desire, but I have been warned a time of war may be coming and that is what I must save this power for. I hope you understand."

Dora nodded. "I do." She turned and calmly exited.

As instructed, Agahnim waited, in the shade of a tree near the forest at the edge of Hyrule field, for Ganondorf to arrive from speaking with Darunia. He arrived finally an hour later on at mid morning. Ganondorf was frustrated, a good sign that the meeting with the Goron leader was not in their favor.

"I blocked off their source of food and infested it with those dodongos. They'll have no choice but to give me what I need to survive," Ganondorf explained bitterly. "How well did your disguise work?"

"The Great Deku tree was convinced I was you, but he was no more willing to share than Darunia. I cast a dark spell on him that will eventually drain him of his life, unless he gives us the Spiritual Stone of the Forest," Agahnim explained. "Why do you not just kill them and take the stones?"

Ganondorf was displeased by the outcome, but knew there was no other choice. "It is very well that they may warn the King of Hyrule, but if we begin slaughtering people we will lose the element of surprise. I cannot afford a war until I have the power of the Triforce."

Agahnim agreed. "A wise decision, my lord. Now, I must be off." With that, he mounted his horse and returned to the desert.

Ganondorf waited only twenty minutes more before Dora arrived, finally drying off from her excursion in the water. She, also, did not have a stone. "I did leave them a little present that will poison Jabu Jabu and give us the upper hand."

He was doubtful, but he admired her deception. Ganondorf explained to her about the Great Deku Tree and Darunia. "You did well. None of us turned up with what we need, but I feel it is only a matter of time before they are begging for the help that only I can give. Let us return home and prepare for the next step, the Ocarina of Time."

The next day, Ganondorf visited the Zora's before traveling to the kingdom of Hyrule with Dora. Normally, only a messenger of the royal family was welcomed through their waterfall. When Ganondorf called for passage, they let him in only for the king to confront him.

"Just what is it you hope to accomplish?" the Zora King yelled. "Not only have you poisoned Lord Jabu Jabu, but now my daughter is missing!"

Ganondorf chuckled cruelly. "What an unexpected side effect. I am more than happy to rectify this situation if you would supply me with the Spiritual Stone of Water."

The leader of the Zora bloated and huffed with anger. "The price that you ask is not reasonable."

"Then he will die," Ganondorf growled. "You will never see your daughter again."

"I will find another way, but you will not have the Zora's Sapphire. Leave immediately!" the Zora King shouted.

Ganondorf could do no more, so he turned and left before the guards could drag him out. He would wait for the pieces to fall into place.

That same day, Dora and Ganondorf visited the Temple of Time, but it was much more than just tourism. They surveyed the market, discovering every alley and path, counted the guards, noted the distance between the castle and the town, and read the scriptures on the pedestal for the spiritual stones. Their only mission was reconnaissance, so that when Dora infiltrated the castle and stole the ocarina with her master thievery skills, they could open the sacred realm to the Triforce and obtain it before anyone was the wiser.

On their way to exit Hyrule Market, Ganondorf was intrigued by a boy, very much looking like a Hylian, dressed in Kokiri garb. He grabbed Dora's shoulder to stop her and hid behind the moving crowd to watch the boy in green. The most disturbing part, was that when the boy dug in his bag for rupees, the Kokiri Emerald fell out and he quickly stuffed it back in his pouch.

Ganondorf sulked into the infirmary that evening as one of Dora's sessions on medicine ended. Once the children ran from the room for dinner, he asked exasperated, "Dora, have you found a way to bypass the master sword?"

"I have researched relentlessly and there is no magic or potion that I can concoct that will mask your evil heart from the master sword," Dora answered wisely. At the frown he expressed, she added, "However, I have another alternative."

"Go on."

"After seeing that boy today, I know he must be the hero. There is no other reason why he would have that Spiritual Stone. The goddesses must be doing what they can to fight against you," Dora reasoned.

"I'm glad to have gained the attention of divine beings," Ganondorf said with a smirk, though he did not see her point.

"I say we allow this boy to run around and gather everything we need, pull the master sword from the pedestal, and then we pass into the sacred realm by surprise and you take the Triforce."

Ganondorf considered the possibilities, and in the end he knew it was the only way. He reminded himself again that he could not risk a full out war without the Triforce on his side. He leaned down and kissed her. "You are brilliant."

Dora blushed. "I'm glad you are pleased. I will send scouts to the Goron city and Zora's Domain. As soon as they report to me that the boy in green has retrieved the stones then we will make our move."

Ganondorf paced the room in the tower over the cathedral when Agahnim finally arrived as requested. He tried to appear calm, but his sorcery tutor was keen to his disguise. "What kept you?" Ganondorf asked irritably.

"No matter. What is on your mind?" Agahnim asked immediately.

Ganondorf dropped the matter and moved on. "What are the chances I could fail?"

Agahnim laughed. "The almighty Ganondorf is concerned with failure?"

Angered, Ganondorf took hold of his teacher by the cloak and shook him. "I want to know how I can prevent any failure, so that it does not occur."

"If you follow Dora's plan, you will not encounter any delays," Agahnim said, sobering up from his amusement. "There are a few problems though. The master sword will do extensive damage to you, as it is the blade of evil's bane, and you are undoubtedly evil. If the hero has it, and he uses it against you, you will not stand a chance. Secondly, the sages could trap you in the Sacred Realm and this is not preventable. For this, I have a contingency plan. If that does happen, I will immediately begin working on your resurrection, but it will take many years."

Concerned, Ganondorf asked, "Years? Is there nothing else that can be done?"

"Bringing a person back from a realm that will be corrupted by their own madness is not a simple task," Agahnim snapped.

Ganondorf nodded.

"You are much too powerful for any other obstacles to stand in your way. You have nothing to fear," he reassured. "The Triforce and the world will be yours soon enough."

And he did succeed. While Dora waited just at the threshold of Gerudo Valley, leading to the lucious land of Hyrule, Ganondorf intervened on Link before he was able to take the Triforce. Unexpectedly, Link was actually sucked into the Sacred Realm, without even having a chance to claim the Triforce. Although, when Ganondorf touched it to make his wish, it split and left him with the Triforce of Power. Hopefully, it would only be a minor setback, and he would easily collect the other two pieces.

The Gerudo raided Lon Lon Ranch, preventing it from being used as a stronghold once Hyrule town was captured. They turned toward Hyrule afterward, bombarding them from each side. All of the Geruo were used in the war, from archers, to heavy weapons, to assassinations, to healers. Every single woman had her part to play.

Zelda managed to escape, with her guardian, Impa. Immediately after occupying the castle, and publicly decapititing the King of Hyrule, Ganondorf ordered the princess be persued and captured. He had learned she had the Triforce of Wisdom, and made locating her a top priority. Secondly, he would put into place precautionary measures that would prevent the sages ability to lock him in the Sacred Realm.

Hyrule, and its castle, needed some reconstruction after the war. Once the last of Hyrule's knights were located and killed, they focused on rebuilding the great land. The Gerudo were finally able to flourish, and live in prosperity. For a time, all was as it was meant to be. Ganondorf and Ganondora were able to live happily, but it would be short lived.

All of Ganondorf's planning never could have prepared him for what was about to happen.


	9. Chapter 9

**Seven Years Later...**

"He's what?" Ganondorf yelled, bringing a hard fist down on his throne.

The Gerudo soldier delivering the news from one knee visibly swallowed. Her voice shook again when she spoke. "A man dressed in green emerged from the Temple of Time, bearing the master sword on his back, followed by a blue fairy. Link is back."

Ganondorf stood up in a rage and chased the Gerudo out of the throne room with blasts of powerful dark magic that would have proven fatal had she failed to flee in time. He felt a hand rest on his forearm and he turned to see Dora. There was anger reflected in the flames that caught her eyes, but her touch was calming. "You can defeat him," she stated with confidence. "You have the Triforce of Power, and now you can collect the other two."

Ganondorf pulled his arm from her and walked to the middle of the room. He did not want to admit her thinking was right. "With Link free, Zelda is sure to show herself. I will let him continue his pointless adventure." He returned to his throne.

"A wise decision," she said with a smile. "Do you know what their plan is?"

Ganondorf shook his head in uncertainty at first, but realized there was only one possible way they would try to defeat him. "Link's only goal could be to try and free the sages, and together trap me inside the Sacred Realm. It would not mean my death, but I will be incapacitated."

Dora was shocked, hearing the gravity of the situation in his tone. "That's not possible," she breathed in disbelief.

He looked in her eyes and saw fear, the fear of losing him. "If anything happens to me, if somehow this hero is victorious, you must remember that I will come back and you will be responsible for the Gerudo until that time. Remember, that is the very reason I chose you as my queen."

Dora could hardly bear the thought of losing him, but she was confident that Link was much too foolish and weak to win, and Ganondorf was the most powerful man in the world. She nodded. "I would wait for you forever, but I know that together we are more than a match for them. I look forward to defeating our enemies with you at my side, my love."

Ganondorf sat in his throne beside Dora and grinned. "My victory will be glorious. I will complete the Triforce and my wish for greater power will be granted."

Ganon's Tower was a beautiful masterpiece of evil and terror. It sat, foreboding, over a lake of lava, daring intruders to enter at their own risk. The sky was constantly dark as if a spell prevented it from changing with the weather. It was their home and Dora desperately wanted it to remain that way forever. After just a few minutes of violent earthquakes, the tower lay in ruins.

Ganondorf was bloody, severely injured by the wounds inflicted on him by the Master Sword. He lay on his front, struggling to stand, but the pain would not allow him to. It was comforting to know Dora had never left his side during the fight with Link, but he was stubborn and wanted to take him on alone, to demonstrate his superior power. He cursed at the failure that mistake had brought him. There was still a chance he could win, but he would reveal something that not even Dora had seen.

Dora could still feel shaking even after the collapse of the tower was complete. She rested across Ganondorf's back to protect his already wounded body from any debris that would fall on them. They were surrounded by rubble, perfectly held up as a tiny house around them. She could hear Zelda's annoying voice and she shook with anger. Suddenly, Ganondorf began to glow with a light as golden as the Triforce. "Move," he warned, his voice distorted. "Now. Kill Zelda!"

Dora did not hesitate to act on his order. She darted away from him, sneaking out from under the rubble, and ran with her sword targeted on Zelda. The princess barely dodged and Link jumped in to block Dora with his shield. "You will die for this!" Dora yelled, turning to him, until an explosion distracted all three of them.

Ganondorf breathed heavily, exhausted with the energy he poured into his battle against Link, but refused to quit. He hovered in the air, until he pulled his limbs into his core and began to transform. Dora had never witnessed this before, and was surprised to see the man she loved turn into a beast, a monster of his own making, corrupted by his greed. He was such a great beast though, Dora was quite impressed.

"Link! You must defeat Ganondorf and banish him to the Sacred Realm to return peace to Hyrule!" Zelda instructed.

"Never!" Dora yelled, swinging fiercely at Zelda again. She dodged and shot a bolt of light energy at Dora. Her attack came too slow and allowed Dora a chance to block with her enchanted bracers. She backed away, knowing this part of the fight would not be won with close combat. Dora reached for her bow and readied a steady arrow.

She fired with true aim but was thwarted by Zelda's barrier. It was going to take tactic, Dora realized, to strike when Zelda was vulnerable. Ganon and Link danced around the remains of the tower, and so Dora used their obstruction to her advantage, to hide and wait for the perfect opportunity to fire. The only problem was, Zelda had the same thought, so as Dora fired she rushed to block with her bracers or throw herself out of the way of Zelda's light magic. Arrows and beams of light zoomed across the battlefield. Dora feared the damage one hit of her magic could cause.

In one brief opening they fired simultaneously, finally making their target. Zelda shrieked as an arrow grazed her left shoulder. Dora grunted and moaned as the light magic that struck her arm sent pain like fire through her nerves. She was paralyzed momentarily, and had to quickly move once she returned to her senses to avoid being kicked by Ganon. She hid behind a piece of rubble to catch her breath. When Dora peaked out to find her opponent, she had a thin sword in her hand. She smirked, unsheathing her own weapon, and charged Zelda again. There was no way Zelda could win now.

Dora moved on fast and silent feet, but Zelda caught her at the last second and brought her sword up to block. Dora had so much force behind her attack that Zelda buckled at her knees to support the pressure. Zelda shoved Dora away with all her might and Dora stood back, gauging where her next attack should be. "I would just ask you to hand over the Triforce of Wisdom, but it will entertain me to kill you." She could tell her opponent was quick with her blade, but how much strength could she put behind her swings? "Isn't that sword a little big for you?" Dora mocked.

Zelda could not have had more hate in her eyes. "You will pay for what you have done to Hyrule and its people." She attacked first, gracefully, in constant motion to make it more difficult for Dora to strike. However, Dora was well trained and not without her own grace. Their fight to the death was like a beautiful waltz. They traded offense and defense frequently, and took full advantage of the small section of land they had to duel on.

After a few minutes of what appeared to be an equal match, Zelda began to tire, untrained as Dora was. Her arm weakened and Dora's strikes wore her down. Each block became less effective and the sword nearly struck her anyway. Zelda could not keep her arm stiff and her attacks became slower. Dora could feel victory close at hand and she would not risk it in toying with her enemy. She maneuvered Zelda to the edge of the land mass over the lake of lava. As Dora brought her sword in for the final strike, either to bleed her out or knock her to a fiery death below, Zelda fired a beam of light directly into Dora's chest from the palm of her open hand. Dora gasped for breath, stunned, and Zelda acted on her adrenaline, following up with a gash across Dora's shoulder. She stumbled forward and then fell flat on the ground.

The world around Dora began to spin and faded from light to dark, back to light. Her body was numb for a time, but she could not tell if it was several seconds or minutes. As feeling returned, she felt something warm traveling down her chest and was shocked to find blood covered her hand when she removed it from the wound. Her hearing began to return also, even though she never realized she lost it. She could hear Zelda shouting and Ganondorf's haunting screams. Dora turned her head to see what happened and her vision blurred again. She made out a beam of light impaling Ganondorf and Link swinging the Master Sword viciously against his head. This was all wrong. Dora crawled toward them, screaming, "Leave him alone! Don't kill him!" She swore he was dead when suddenly he stood up and swung his weapons wildly. His pain made her heart ache and the tears were only restrained by her desire for revenge. "I am going to kill you!" she yelled through gritted teeth and rose to her feet, defying her body's protests to rest. Suddenly, she was thrown back by an invisible force, and all went black.

Dora returned to her senses a few minutes later. She heard the scraping sound of something dragging along the ground. When she realized she was not supporting her own weight, she knew it was her own feet that dragged. Slowly, she opened her eyes and the world looked normal, until she found it was Link and Zelda that dragged her toward the market, and the Gerudo stared at her in horror.

Dora planted her feet and thrust her upper body back with force great enough to catch her enemy's off guard and knock them off balance. Her head was still fuzzy and when she tried to rub her head she could not because of the shackles of light that bound her wrists behind her back. Even in her state of rage she could not break free of her bindings. Dora turned to face Zelda, with her back to her people, and growled, "How could you?"

Zelda ignored Dora's question and said, "You are indefinitely banished from the kingdom of Hyrule and you must immediately leave here. Furthermore, you will not return to your desert as that is now territory of Hyrule."

"You could banish me to the ends of the world and it will not compare to that which Ganondorf now suffers! You have taken away our king, my husband," Dora shouted, tears of equal anger and sorrow burning the edges of her eyes. Zelda watched with a cold stare.

"I am sorry that you did not choose a better path," Zelda said. "Leave, immediately. You are no longer welcome here."

Dora did not have the strength to fight, but she most definitely had the will. She could not let the anger that boiled inside cloud her thoughts. It was Beatrice who came and placed a hand on Dora's shoulder first, and then other Gerudo nearby joined in. Dora looked back at her now homeless people and saw the sisterly bond in their eyes. She needed to live to fight another day, to lead her people, to seek revenge when the time was right. Dora turned, and marched the Gerudo out of Hyrule Market.

It was a long walk to the Gerudo Desert, especially with the wild ride of emotions Dora took along the way. Sorrow at her loss, anger at her failure, fear at the unknown future. Where would they go? She could not fail again. No matter what faced her, she would lead her people as Ganondorf trusted her to do.

When they finally reached the valley, a place Dora had not called home for nearly seven years, she turned and addressed her people before they could disperse to be with family and collect any belongings they possessed. "I have failed you. I did not protect Ganondorf. And now, our king has been exiled to the Sacred Realm, forced to suffer in isolation! He is neither alive or dead!" Dora had never been so angry, but she had also never been more clear on anything. "He promised that he would return one day and until that time I will honorably lead you despite my suffering. We will have our revenge on Hyrule and its princess for this injustice on our people." Dora's words were confident but somber. "This is not defeat," she promised.

"Where will we go?" they asked.

"There is a forest beyond the land of the Kokiri that is frequently traveled by merchants on their way to Hyrule to sell their goods. We will make a new home there," Dora explained.

Eleven wagons were packed, each one pulled by two horses, and before day break of the next day they marched out of the valley.

Rachelle quickly helped to build new homes out of the materials that could be collected from the trees, stone from rocks, tall grass, dirt, and leaves. In a few weeks they had huts built to accommodate all one hundred and fifty of them. With the extra time on their hands, they set to work in shifts building a proper fortress for their queen.

Almost two years later, Dora stood at the edge of the balcony of her new fortress built from wood and rocks, fortified with metal that they were learning to mine, metal to make weapons. They learned to cook with new ingredients, build with new materials, sew with new cloth, and survive in an entirely different terrain. They had made tremendous leaps in adapting to their new home and environment. Many would even applaud Dora for her ability to pull them through the tough times as a group.

Every night she went to bed thinking of Ganondorf, and telling herself that the next day he would come home. It never happened.

Doubt clouded her mind, sorrow made her stomach sick, fear made her knees fail, and she collapsed to the floor of the balcony in desperate, grieving sobs.


End file.
